


Ultimatum

by MerlinWinchestr



Category: Deception (TV 2018)
Genre: Alt. 14-Shot, No. 16-Shoot the hostage, No. 3-Forced to their knees, Whumptober 2020, death (not canon character)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26979979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinWinchestr/pseuds/MerlinWinchestr
Summary: “The rules are simple,” MW said calmly, “You will both take a gun, and shoot one of the hostages. If you don’t, your brother dies.”
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Ultimatum

**Author's Note:**

> **Rating:** T  
>  **Warnings:** Death (not major character)  
>  **Category:** AU  
>  **Characters:** Cameron Black, Jonathan Black, Mystery Woman  
>  **Setting:** Post-episode 8  
>  **Prompt:** Whumptober 2020, No. 3 & 16, Alt. 14; Forced to their knees, Shoot the hostage, & Shot

# Ultimatum

Six hired guns lay unconscious or groaning in pain on the warehouse floor. Four more held two struggling prisoners while the final two leveled the guns at their captives. The Black brothers fought to break free, but the hired guns only held tighter. A foot to the back of their knees sent the brothers crashing to the concrete floor; rough hands on their shoulders ensured that they remained on their knees. 

Footsteps echoed through the dark warehouse, slowly passing through the field of bodies. 

“I’m surprised. I had bet on you only taking out four men. Glad I came prepared.” 

Jonathan tensed as the Mystery Woman came into sight and stopped a few feet in front of them. Cameron laughed dryly. 

“Put the guns away,” he suggested. “And we’ll give you something to be impressed about.”

“Always with the invincible act,” MW rolled her eyes. “Does anyone actually buy it or are you really just that naïve?” 

“You know we didn’t come unprepared,” Johnny interrupted, anger tinting his voice. “If you were smart, you would run while you still can.” 

The woman placed a hand on her chest and battered her eyelashes dramatically, sarcasm dripping from her words as she replied. 

“Oh how sweet of you to care. But you of all people should know me better then that, Jonathan. Your friends have been taken care of, don’t you worry.” 

“What did you do?” Cameron tried to rise, but the hired gun shoved him back to the floor easily. “If you hurt them, I swear I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” MW cut him off, laughing. “Kill me? I think you’ve both proven that you’re not capable of that. At least not yet. But don’t worry; you’re friends are fine. For now. They’re just on the other side of the city at the wrong location. It shouldn’t take them long to realize their mistakes and come barreling to your rescue. We’ll be finished and long gone by the time they arrive.” 

“Finished with what?” Johnny resisted the urge to glance over his brother. 

She didn’t answer. Instead, she snapped her fingers. A door opened, then closed with a bang. Muffled crying echoed through the warehouse as two additional hired guns stalked toward the group, dragging two hooded prisoners behind them. The figures were thrown to the floor and forced to their knees opposite of the brothers. The hired guns removed the hoods revealing two young men, both in their early twenties. One had clearly been crying while the other still held a defiant look. Both were gagged, hands tied behind their back, and side by side the resemblance between the two was enough to betray them as brothers without having to ask. 

Swiftly, the two hired guns removed their pistols, made a show of loading one round in each, and placed them on the ground in front of Cameron and Jonathan before backing away. 

“What is this? Some kind of test?” Johnny asked, mouth drying as he looked from the guns to the other captives. 

Beside him, Cameron paled. 

“That is exactly what this is.” MW smiled. “And my tests are very real. Aren’t they, Cameron?” 

Cameron opened his mouth, but no words came out. MW’s smile widened.

“The rules are simple,” she said, “You each take a gun and, one at a time, kill these two.” 

“We’re not killing anyone!” Johnny protested, a sickening feeling dropping in his stomach. 

“Yes, you will.” MW said without hesitation. “Oh don’t give me those looks. I went out of my way to find two disgusting people to make this easier for you instead of just grabbing the first two I saw. These two men,” she spat the word, “kidnapped and murdered a young boy. But daddy’s money got them off. Killing these two will be bringing justice for an innocent child.” 

“Doesn’t matter.” Cameron choked out. “We won’t do it.” 

“Oh, I think you will, Cameron.” 

“I refused to shoot Bishop.” Cameron’s voice shook, but he forced himself to plunge ahead. “What makes this time any different?” 

Slowly, the woman drew the pistol from the holster at her side and leveled it at Johnny. 

“Because this time,” she said calmly, “If you don’t, I’ll shoot your brother instead.” 

Johnny laughed.

“She’s bluffing, Cam. Don’t—” 

A shot rang out, cutting Johnny off mid-sentence and echoing in the warehouse. Jonathan shouted as the bullet smacked into his left shoulder, spinning him around and sending him crashing to the ground. 

“Johnny!” Cameron tried to move to his brother’s side, but the hired gun’s held him tightly in place. 

Jonathan gritted his teeth to keep back the cry of pain as he slowly got back to his knees. He placed his hand against his shoulder, trying not to gag as the blood quickly covered his hand. Beside him, Cameron shouted, some choice words aimed at the Mystery Woman who simply stood there unconcerned. 

“I’m all right, Cam.” He forced himself to say, looking to his brother. “I’m all right.” 

“For now.” MW cautioned, gun still held menacingly in front of her. She looked back to Cameron whose hands were noticeably shaking. “Pick up the pistol, Cameron” 

He hesitated momentarily before shakily reaching forward and lifting the pistol. 

“Now get to your feet,” MW ordered, “And shoot one of them in the heart.” 

“Don’t do it, Cam.” Johnny pleaded, pain slipping into his voice as he moved his shoulder to quickly. “It’s not worth it” 

“I think I’ve made it clear that I do not bluff,” MW snapped, “Now, Cameron, either you do as I say, or I kill your brother.” 

Cameron’s breath hitched as he slowly got to his feet. MW smirked as he slowly stepped toward her, but he couldn’t look at her. There was one bullet in the gun. He could end it all here; shoot Mystery Woman and end her reign of terror over their lives. Of course, they wouldn’t have much of a life left once the hired guns opened fire. 

He looked to the two men kneeling on the floor. God, they weren’t much more then kids! The one on the left was shaking, tears leaving streaks down his dirty cheeks. The other glared defiantly, chin held high, but Cam could see the fear in his eyes as he slowly raised his gun. 

“No! Cam!” Johnny shouted, but a backhanded slap stopped his shouting. 

Cameron couldn’t move, could barely breathe. Behind him, he heard the woman tapping her foot impatiently. 

“I’m going to count to five, Cameron.” She said impatiently. “Jonathan dies at five. One.” 

“Cam.” Johnny pleaded, voice quiet and full of pain. 

“Two.” 

The younger of the two couldn’t have been twenty-three, if that. He was visibly shaking, eyes wide with fear as he tried to draw closer to his brother. Was MW telling the truth? Had these two truly murdered a young boy? 

“Three.”

The older of the two was maybe twenty-five, and he stared Cameron down, defiant until the end. But the fear in his eyes was there for all to see. Cameron closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. 

“Four.” 

His finger squeezed the trigger and the younger boy fell to the floor with a thud, eyes open and unseeing. The older boy screamed through the gag, all the anger and defiance gone as he reached for his brother’s body, only to be pulled back by one of the hired guns. 

The pistol dropped from Cameron’s hands and he took a shaky step backwards, eyes locked onto the boy. The boy he had just killed. No, not killed. Executed. 

“And here I didn’t think you had it in you.” MW sounded perversely impressed. 

Cameron couldn’t look at her. He forced his eyes away from the body and staggered back to stand beside his brother. He felt Johnny’s eyes on him, but he couldn’t look at him either. Not now. Not after that. 

“One down. One to go.” MW called cheerfully. “And just to make everything fair…”

A shot rang out and Cameron toppled sideways, shouting as the bullet punched into his right shoulder. He hit the ground hard, landing beside his brother with his eyes closed tight against the sudden pain. 

“Cam!” Johnny shouted, stopped from reaching for his brother by the guards. 

Cameron didn’t answer, afraid of letting out another cry of pain if he tried to speak. He struggled to pull himself to his knees, pressing his hand against the wound. Johnny eyed him carefully, making sure he was alive, before looking back to the still-smiling woman. 

“You’re turn, Jonathan.” 

Johnny took a deep breath and reached for the gun. It felt heavy in his hands as he staggered to his feet, wavering slightly as the room spun around him. He stepped forward, away from his brother and toward the final hostage who watched him with fear and tears in his eyes. 

“Johnny.” Cam breathed, but what was there to say?

Jonathan hesitated a moment, meeting the terrified kid’s eyes. Then he pulled the trigger. The older boy toppled over, falling across his brother’s body. Jonathan closed his eyes and let the pistol drop to the floor beside the one Cameron had used. Turning his back on the bodies, he went back and stood beside his brother.

Cameron forced himself to his feet, reaching out and grabbing his brother’s uninjured shoulder tightly They met each other’s eyes, and Johnny nodded. After a moment, Cameron nodded back. 

“You two are just full of surprises.” MW was gleeful. “I was expecting to leave four corpses behind. Instead, I’ve gained two accomplices.” 

She looked around and motioned at the hired guns. The men started moving silently, leaving the Black brothers unguarded. They gathered up the six men from before and began making their way toward the exit. The Mystery Woman made to follow, but stopped and looked back at the unmoving brothers.

“Well, are you coming?” she asked. “Or would you rather stay and explain this to your friends at the FBI?” 

With that, she turned her back on the brothers and followed her crew out the door.

Thirty minutes later when the FBI finally arrived, they found the warehouse empty save for two executed bodies. And, laying where they had fallen, two empty pistols with two sets of fingerprints as the only evidence to tell the story.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Author's Note:** I had far to much playing around with this idea. Maybe one day I'll come back and expand on it, we shall see. I hope you enjoyed!


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